TWI759020B - Systems and methods for manufacturing a double-sided electrostatic clamp - Google Patents

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided for manufacturing an electrostatic clamp. An example method can include forming, during a first duration of time comprising a first time, a top clamp comprising a first set of electrodes and a plurality of burls. The method can further include forming, during a second duration of time comprising a second time that overlaps the first time, a core comprising a plurality of fluid channels configured to carry a thermally conditioned fluid. The method can further include forming, during a third duration of time comprising a third time that overlaps the first time and the second time, a bottom clamp comprising a second set of electrodes. In some aspects, the example method can include manufacturing the electrostatic clamp without an anodic bond.

Description

System and method for making double-sided electrostatic clips

The present invention relates to substrate tables and methods for forming nodules and nanostructures on the surface of the substrate table.

A lithography apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern to a substrate, usually to a target portion of the substrate. Lithographic equipment can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In that case, a patterning device, which is referred to interchangeably as a mask or a reticle, can be used to generate circuit patterns to be formed on the individual layers of the formed IC. This pattern can be transferred onto a target portion (eg, a portion including a die, a die, or dies) on a substrate (eg, a silicon wafer). Transfer of the pattern is typically performed by imaging onto a layer of radiation-sensitive material (eg, resist) provided on the substrate. In general, a single substrate will contain a network of sequentially patterned adjacent target portions. Conventional lithography equipment includes: so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing the entire pattern onto the target portion at once; and so-called scanners, in which the ) to irradiate each target portion by scanning the pattern with the radiation beam while simultaneously scanning the target portions parallel or anti-parallel to this scanning direction. It is also possible to transfer the pattern from the patterning device to the substrate by imprinting the pattern onto the substrate.

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light, such as electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of about 50 nanometers (nm) or less (sometimes referred to as soft x-rays) and including light at a wavelength of about 13 nm, can be used in lithography In equipment or with lithography equipment to create extremely small features in substrates such as silicon wafers. Methods of generating EUV light include, but are not necessarily limited to, converting materials with elements having emission lines in the EUV range, such as xenon (Xe), lithium (Li), or tin (Sn), into a plasmonic state. For example, in one such method known as laser-generated plasma (LPP), plasma can be generated by irradiating a target material with an amplified beam of light, which can be referred to as a driven laser, at the LPP source (eg, in the form of droplets, plates, ribbons, streams, or clusters of material) interchangeably referred to as fuel. For this process, the plasma is typically generated in a sealed container, such as a vacuum chamber, and monitored using various types of metrology equipment.

Another lithography system is an interference lithography system without the presence of a patterning device. Specifically, an interferometric lithography system splits a beam into two beams and causes the two beams to interfere at a target portion of the substrate through the use of a reflection system. This interference causes lines to form at the target portion of the substrate.

During a lithography operation, different processing steps may require different layers to be formed continuously on the substrate. Therefore, it may be necessary to position the substrate with high accuracy relative to previous patterns formed on the substrate. Typically, alignment marks are placed on the substrate to be aligned and the alignment marks are positioned with reference to the second object. The lithography equipment can use the alignment equipment to detect the position of the alignment marks and use the alignment marks to align the substrate to ensure accurate exposure from the mask. Misalignment between alignment marks on two different layers is measured as overlay error.

In order to monitor the lithography process, the parameters of the patterned substrate are measured. For example, parameters may include the misalignment between successive layers formed in or on the patterned substrate, and the critical line width of the developed photoresist. This measurement can be performed on product substrates, dedicated metrology targets, or both. Various techniques exist for making measurements of microstructures formed in lithographic processes, including the use of scanning electron microscopes and various other specialized tools. A fast and non-invasive form of specialized inspection tools is a scatterometer, in which a beam of radiation is directed onto a target on the surface of a substrate, and the properties of the scattered or reflected beam are measured. The properties of the substrate can be determined by comparing the properties of the light beam before and after it has been reflected or scattered by the substrate. This determination can be made, for example, by comparing the reflected beam with data stored in a library of known measurements associated with known substrate properties. Spectral scatterometers direct a broad-band radiation beam onto a substrate and measure the spectrum (intensity as a function of wavelength) of radiation scattered into a specific narrow angular range. In contrast, angle-resolving scatterometers use a monochromatic beam of radiation and measure the intensity of scattered radiation as a function of angle.

Such optical scatterometers can be used to measure parameters such as critical dimensions of developed photoresist or misregistration between two layers formed in or on a patterned substrate. The properties of the substrate can be determined by comparing the properties of the illumination beam before and after the beam has been reflected or scattered by the substrate.

It is desirable to indicate and maintain friction properties (eg, friction, hardness, wear) on the surface of the substrate table. In some cases, the wafer holder may be positioned on the surface of the substrate table. Substrate tables or wafer holders attached to substrate tables have surface level tolerances that can be difficult to achieve due to the precision requirements of lithography and metrology processes. Wafers (eg, semiconductor substrates) that are relatively thin (eg, thickness < 1.0 millimeters (mm)) are particularly sensitive to substrate table non-uniformity compared to the width of the surface area (eg, width > 100.0 m). of. Additionally, the ultra-smooth surfaces of the contacts can become clogged together, which can present problems when the substrate must be disengaged from the substrate table. To reduce the smoothness of the surface that interfaces with the wafer, the surface of the substrate table or wafer holder may include glass nodules formed by patterning and etching of the glass substrate. However, these glass nodules have a hardness of only about 6.0 gigapascals (GPa), and thus can be broken during operation of the lithography apparatus, crushed by particles jammed into the glass nodules by the clamped wafer. Additionally, conventional clips are typically fabricated serially using anodic bonding (eg, to bond glass and metal), a process that can take a year to complete.

This disclosure describes various aspects of systems, apparatus, and methods for fabricating an electrostatic clip that does not include anodic bonding via a parallel process that includes parallel to forming a core and further parallel to forming a bottom clip A top clip is formed, and then the top clip is mounted to the core and the core to the bottom clip.

In some aspects, the present disclosure describes a method for making a device. The method can include forming a top clip during a first duration including a first time. The top clip may include a first surface; a second surface disposed opposite the first surface; a first set of electrodes disposed laterally between the first surface and the second surface and a plurality of nodules disposed above the first surface. The method may further include forming a core during a second duration including a second time overlapping the first time. The core may include: a third surface; a fourth surface disposed opposite the third surface; a plurality of fluid channels disposed between the third surface and the fourth surface and through Configured to carry a thermal regulating fluid. The method may further include forming a bottom clip during a third duration including a third time overlapping the first time and the second time. The bottom clip may include: a fifth surface; a sixth surface disposed opposite the fifth surface; and a second set of electrodes disposed laterally to the fifth surface and the sixth surface between the surfaces.

In some aspects, the present disclosure describes another method for making a device. The method can include forming a top clip including a first surface during a first duration including a first time. The method may further include forming a core during a second duration including a second time overlapping the first time, the core including a second surface and a third surface disposed opposite the second surface . The method may further include forming a bottom clip during a third duration including a third time overlapping the first time and the second time, the bottom clip including a fourth surface. The method may further include mounting the first surface of the top clip to the second surface of the core without an anodic bonding. The method may further include mounting the third surface of the core to the fourth surface of the bottom clip without an anodic bonding.

In some aspects, the present disclosure describes an apparatus. The apparatus may include a top clip, a core, and a bottom clip. The top clip may include a first set of electrodes and a plurality of nodules. The core may include a plurality of fluid channels configured to carry a thermal regulation fluid. The bottom clip may include a second set of electrodes. In some aspects, none of the top clip, the core, and the bottom clip include an anodic bond. In some aspects, the device does not include an anodic bond.

Other features of the various aspects, as well as the structure and operation, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the specific aspects described herein. Such aspects are presented herein for illustrative purposes only. Additional aspects will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art based on the teachings contained herein.

This specification discloses one or more embodiments that incorporate the features of the invention. The disclosed embodiments merely describe the invention. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The breadth and scope of the present invention are defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

The described embodiment and references in this specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc. indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but each Embodiments may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, these phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Additionally, when a particular feature, structure or characteristic is described in conjunction with one embodiment, it should be understood that it is within the purview of those skilled in the art to implement that feature, structure or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments, whether explicitly described or not. .

For ease of description, terms such as "under", "below", "lower", "above", "on", "upper" and the like may be used herein. The spatially relative terms used to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature as illustrated in the figures. In addition to the orientation depicted in the figures, spatially relative terms are also intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein may likewise be interpreted accordingly.

The term "about" as used herein indicates a given amount of value that may vary based on a particular technique. Depending on the particular technique, the term "about" may indicate a given amount of value that varies, eg, within 10% to 30% of the value (eg, ±10%, ±20%, or ±30% of the value).

Overview

Conventional lithography equipment using EUV radiation sources typically requires that the EUV radiation beam path, or at least a substantial portion thereof, be kept in a vacuum during the lithography operation. In such vacuum zones of lithography equipment, electrostatic clamps can be used to respectively hold objects, such as patterning devices (eg, masks or reticle) or substrates (eg, wafers), to the structure of the lithography equipment, Such as a patterning device stage or a substrate stage. Conventional electrostatic clips may include electrodes at one surface of the electrostatic clip, with a plurality of nodules disposed on opposing surfaces of the electrostatic clip. As the electrostatic clamp is energized (eg, using a clamping voltage) and pulls the reticle or wafer into contact with the nodule, the top of the conductive nodule may be at a different potential than the reticle or the backside of the wafer. At the moment of contact, since the two potentials are equal, this potential difference causes a discharge mechanism. Additionally, conventional electrostatic clips typically include glass nodules formed by patterning and etching a glass substrate. These glass nodules have a hardness of only about 6.0 GPa and are therefore breakable during operation of the lithography apparatus, crushed by particles jammed into the glass nodules by the clamped wafer. Furthermore, these conventional electrostatic clips typically include several anodic bonds and can take upwards of seventy weeks to manufacture, which is an excessively long time.

In contrast to these conventional systems, the present invention provides methods for manufacturing electrostatic clips comprising parallel processing techniques that allow for fast production and higher yields of final electrostatic clips by (i) Perform critical tasks in parallel, and (ii) use optical bonding to bond the top clip to the core to have a modular design where the top clip can be removed fairly easily if the nodule on the top clip is broken and replace. The optical bond is strong enough to support acceleration of the electrostatic clip during operation of the lithography apparatus, but is reversible so that the top clip can be removed and replaced. In addition, the bottom clips can also be removed relatively easily by baking the constructs (eg, core and bottom clips) to 450 degrees Celsius and ashing the adhesive. Optionally, in some aspects, electrostatic clips can be fabricated without anodic bonding, which is irreversible and contains high level stress. However, in other aspects, the electrostatic clip may be fabricated using one or more anodic bonds, such as an anodic bond to hold the cores together and/or an anodic bond between the core and bottom clip in conjunction with the core and top clip produced by optical bonding.

In some aspects, the present invention provides methods for making an electrostatic clip that does not include any anodic bonding, the electrostatic clip including a top clip, a core, and a bottom clip. In some aspects described herein, an example method for fabricating an electrostatic clip can include forming the top clip in parallel with forming the core and further in parallel with forming the bottom clip. Subsequently, example methods may include mounting the top clip to the core and mounting the core to the bottom clip. By forming the top clip, core and bottom clips in parallel and without anodic bonding operations, the methods described herein can produce electrostatic clips much faster than conventional techniques utilizing serial processing and anodic bonding. For example, while conventional electrostatic clips can take over a year to manufacture, the electrostatic clip disclosed herein can take less than three months to manufacture, resulting in a reduction in manufacturing time of about 75% or more.

Additionally, the present invention provides a method of repairing an electrostatic clip using a top clip that has been recovered from an area with a broken glass nodule. The method includes removing a top clip from the core (eg, the top clip may be optically bonded to the core), repairing a broken nodule or fabricating a new top clip, and optically bonding the new or repaired top clip to the core, thereby maintaining and Reuse the existing core and bottom clips. Thus, the present invention provides for repairing an electrostatic clip without discarding all of the components of its assembly.

In some aspects, the present invention provides a method of producing an electrostatic clamp that is functionally equivalent to a conventional wafer clamp but through a parallel process involving both non-anodic bonding. Additionally, the electrostatic clips disclosed herein are easier to rework than conventional electrostatic clips that anodically bond the top clip to the core. For example, field failures often involve broken nodules on the surface of the top clip. By optically bonding the top clip to the core, the electrostatic clip disclosed herein allows the top clip to be released from contact with the core, and then the reworked or newly fabricated top clip is brought back into contact with the core.

In some aspects, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing an electrostatic clip, the method in other aspects including the following three parallel production flows.

1. Production of 0.5 mm thick borosilicate glass clips for top clips. This configuration contains electrodes and nodules and can be optically contacted to the surface of the ground SiSiC core.

2. Produce 8.0 mm thick SiSiC cores. This configuration contains cooling and gas distribution, milled top surface and long nodules on its back side. In some aspects, the core can be produced without anodic bonding. In other aspects, the core may be produced using one or more anodic bonds.

3. Production of 0.5 mm thick borosilicate glass clips for bottom clips. This configuration contains electrodes, and through holes through which the longer nodules of the core will pass. The bottom clip may be bonded to the core using epoxy.

There are many advantages and benefits of the fabrication techniques and electrostatic clips disclosed herein. Compared to the prior art, the present invention provides a simpler, faster and cheaper way to manufacture electrostatic clips with better production yield. In addition, compared with the prior art, the present invention provides a simpler, faster and cheaper way to repair the electrostatic clip with better repair yield. For example, the present invention manufactures electrostatic clips in other aspects in substantially shorter durations (eg, about a quarter or less of the time required to manufacture conventional electrostatic clips) by: in parallel and Several parts of the electrostatic clip (eg, top clip, core, and bottom clip) are formed without an anodic bonding operation. In another example, the present disclosure provides wafer clips and electrostatic clips that include nodules having a hardness greater than about 6.0 GPa, and in some aspects, greater than about 20.0 GPa. These nodules provide increased wear resistance and friction properties over conventional glass nodules, which facilitate engaging and disengaging substrates or patterning devices during operation of the lithography apparatus without cracks or fractures . In addition, the present invention facilitates reprocessing of clips with broken nodules that have been repaired in situ. Because of the techniques described in this disclosure, the associated photolithography equipment can be restored to service faster, cheaper, and more reliably than the prior art. In some aspects, the present invention facilitates recovery of rework clips to the field in the case of much harder nodules that would therefore be less prone to fracture during lithography operations.

Before describing such aspects in greater detail, however, it is instructive to present example environments in which aspects of the invention may be implemented.

Example lithography system

1A and 1B are schematic illustrations of lithography apparatus 100 and lithography apparatus 100', respectively, in which aspects of the present invention may be implemented. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B , lithographic apparatuses 100 and 100 ′ are illustrated from a viewing angle (eg, a side view) perpendicular to the XZ plane (eg, with the X axis pointing to the right and the Z axis pointing up), while the Additional viewing angles (eg, top view) of a plane (eg, X-axis pointing to the right and Y-axis pointing up) present patterned device MA and substrate W.

Lithography apparatus 100 and lithography apparatus 100' each include an illumination system IL (eg, an illuminator) configured to condition a radiation beam B (eg, a deep ultraviolet (DUV) radiation beam or an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation beam) ) radiation beam); a support structure MT (eg, a mask stage) configured to support a patterning device MA (eg, a mask, reticle, or dynamic patterning device) and connected to a patterning device configured to accurately and a substrate holder, such as a substrate table WT (eg, a wafer table) configured to hold a substrate W (eg, a resist-coated wafer) and Connected to a second positioner PW configured to accurately position the substrate W. The lithography apparatuses 100 and 100' also have a projection system PS configured to project the pattern imparted to the radiation beam B by the patterning device MA onto a target portion C (eg, comprising one or more dies) of the substrate W part) on. In the lithography apparatus 100, the patterning device MA and the projection system PS are reflective. In the lithography apparatus 100', the patterning device MA and the projection system PS are transmissive.

The illumination system IL may include various types of optical components for directing, shaping or controlling the radiation beam B, such as refractive, reflective, catadioptric, magnetic, electromagnetic, electrostatic or other types of optical components or any combination thereof.

The support structure MT in a manner that depends on the orientation of the patterning device MA relative to the reference frame, the design of at least one of the lithography apparatuses 100 and 100', and other conditions such as whether the patterning device MA is held in a vacuum environment to hold the patterning device MA. The support structure MT may use mechanical, vacuum, electrostatic or other clamping techniques to hold the patterning device MA. The support structure MT can be, for example, a frame or a table, which can be fixed or movable as desired. By using sensors, the support structure MT can ensure that the patterning device MA, for example, is in the desired position relative to the projection system PS.

The term "patterning device" MA should be construed broadly to refer to any device that can be used to impart a patterned radiation beam B in its cross-section so as to produce a pattern in a target portion C of the substrate W. The pattern imparted to the radiation beam B may correspond to a specific functional layer in the device that is created in the target portion C to form an integrated circuit.

The patterning device MA may be transmissive (as in the lithography apparatus 100' of FIG. 1B ) or reflective (as in the lithography apparatus 100 of FIG. 1A ). Examples of patterning devices MA include a reticle, a mask, a programmable mirror array, or a programmable LCD panel. Masks include mask types such as binary, alternating phase shift, or decay phase shift, as well as various hybrid mask types. One example of a programmable mirror array uses a matrix configuration of mirrorlets, each of which can be individually tilted to reflect incident radiation beams in different directions. The inclined mirrors impart a pattern in the radiation beam B reflected by the small mirror matrix.

The term "projection system" PS may encompass any type of projection system including refractive, reflective, catadioptric, magnetic, electromagnetic and electrostatic optical systems or any combination thereof, as appropriate for the exposure radiation used or suitable for For other factors, such as the use of an infiltration liquid on the substrate W or the use of a vacuum. A vacuum environment can be used for EUV or electron beam radiation, since other gases can absorb excess radiation or electrons. Therefore, a vacuum environment can be provided to the entire beam path by means of the vacuum wall and the vacuum pump.

The lithography apparatus 100 and/or the lithography apparatus 100' may be of a type having two (dual stage) or more than two substrate tables WT (and/or two or more mask tables). In these "multi-stage" machines, additional substrate tables WT may be used in parallel, or preparatory steps may be performed on one or more tables while one or more other substrate tables WT are used for exposure. In some cases, the additional table may not be the substrate table WT.

Lithographic apparatus may also be of the type in which at least a portion of the substrate may be covered by a liquid having a relatively high refractive index, such as water, so as to fill the space between the projection system and the substrate. The immersion liquid can also be applied to other spaces in the lithography apparatus, such as the space between the mask and the projection system. Immersion techniques are used to increase the numerical aperture of projection systems. The term "immersion" as used herein does not mean that a structure such as a substrate must be immersed in liquid, but only means that the liquid is located between the projection system and the substrate during exposure.

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B , the illumination system IL receives the radiation beam B from the radiation source SO. For example, when the radiation source SO is an excimer laser, the radiation source SO and the lithography apparatus 100 or 100' may be separate physical entities. In such cases, the radiation source SO is not considered to form part of the lithography apparatus 100 or 100', and the radiation beam B is provided by means of a beam delivery system BD (eg, FIG. 1B ) including, for example, suitable guide mirrors and/or beam expanders shown in) from the radiation source SO to the illumination system IL. In other cases, for example, when the radiation source SO is a mercury lamp, the radiation source SO may be an integral part of the lithography apparatus 100 or 100'. The radiation source SO and the illuminator IL together with the beam delivery system BD (where required) may be referred to as a radiation system.

The illumination system IL may include an adjuster AD (eg, as shown in FIG. 1B ) for adjusting the angular intensity distribution of the radiation beam. In general, at least the outer and/or inner radial extent (commonly referred to as "σ outer" and "σ inner", respectively) of the intensity distribution in the pupil plane of the illuminator can be adjusted. Additionally, illumination system IL may include various other components (eg, shown in FIG. 1B ), such as light integrator IN and radiation collector CO (eg, concentrator or collector optics). The illumination system IL can be used to adjust the radiation beam B to have the desired uniformity and intensity distribution in its cross-section.

1A, the radiation beam B is incident on a patterning device MA (eg, a mask) held on a support structure MT (eg, a mask stage), and is patterned by the patterning device MA. In the lithography apparatus 100, the radiation beam B is reflected from the patterning device MA. After reflection from the patterning device MA, the radiation beam B passes through the projection system PS, which focuses the radiation beam B onto the target portion C of the substrate W. By means of the second positioner PW and the position sensor IFD2 (eg an interferometric device, a linear encoder or a capacitive sensor), the substrate table WT can be moved accurately (eg, in order to position the different target portions C on the radiation beam) in the path of B). Similarly, a first positioner PM and another position sensor IFD1 (eg, an interferometric device, a linear encoder, or a capacitive sensor) can be used to accurately position the patterning device MA relative to the path of the radiation beam B. Patterning device MA and substrate W may be aligned using mask alignment marks M1 and M2 and substrate alignment marks P1 and P2.

Referring to FIG. 1B , the radiation beam B is incident on the patterning device MA held on the support structure MT, and is patterned by the patterning device MA. Having traversed the patterning device MA, the radiation beam B passes through the projection system PS, which focuses the beam onto the target portion C of the substrate W. The projection system has a pupil conjugate PPU to the pupil IPU of the illumination system. Part of the radiation diverges from the intensity distribution at the illumination system pupil IPU and traverses the mask pattern without being affected by diffraction at the mask pattern, and produces an image of the intensity distribution at the illumination system pupil IPU.

The projection system PS projects the image MP' of the mask pattern MP onto the resist layer coated on the substrate W, wherein the image MP' is formed by the mask pattern MP by diffracted beams generated by radiation from the intensity distribution . For example, the mask pattern MP may include an array of lines and spaces. Diffraction of radiation at the array and other than zero-order diffraction produces a steered diffracted beam with a change of direction in the direction normal to the line. A non-diffracted beam (eg, a so-called zero-order diffracted beam) traverses the pattern without any change in the direction of propagation. The zero-order diffracted beam traverses the upper lens or upper lens group of the projection system PS upstream of the pupil conjugate PPU of the projection system PS to reach the pupil conjugate PPU. The part of the intensity distribution in the plane of the pupil conjugate PPU and associated with the zeroth order diffracted beam is an image of the intensity distribution in the illumination system pupil IPU of the illumination system IL. The aperture device PD is arranged, for example, at or substantially at the plane comprising the pupil conjugate PPU of the projection system PS.

The projection system PS is configured to capture not only the zeroth order diffracted beam, but also the first or first and higher order diffracted beams by means of a lens or lens group L (not shown). In some aspects, dipole illumination for imaging line patterns extending in a direction perpendicular to the lines may be used to take advantage of the resolution enhancement effect of dipole illumination. For example, a first-order diffracted beam interferes with a corresponding zero-order diffracted beam at the level of substrate W to be at the highest possible resolution and process window (eg, available depth of focus combined with allowable exposure dose deviation) An image of the mask pattern MP is generated. In some aspects, astigmatic aberrations can be reduced by providing a radiant pole (not shown) in the opposite limit of the pupil IPU of the illumination system. In addition, in some aspects, astigmatic aberrations may be reduced by blocking the zeroth-order beam in the pupil conjugate PPU of the projection system associated with the radiative poles in the phase confinement. This is described in more detail in US Patent No. 7,511,799, issued March 31, 2009, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

By means of the second positioner PW and the position sensor IFD (eg interferometric device, linear encoder or capacitive sensor), the substrate table WT can be moved accurately (eg, in order to locate different targets in the path of the radiation beam B) Section C). Similarly, a first positioner PM and another position sensor (not shown in FIG. 1B ) can be used (eg, after mechanical retrieval from the mask library or during scanning) to accurately relative to the path of radiation beam B The patterning device MA is positioned on the ground.

In general, the movement of the support structure MT can be achieved by means of long-stroke positioners (coarse positioning) and short-stroke positioners (fine positioning) forming part of the first positioner PM. Similarly, movement of the substrate table WT may be accomplished using a long stroke positioner and a short stroke positioner that form part of the second positioner PW. In the case of a stepper (as opposed to a scanner), the support structure MT may only be connected to the short stroke actuator, or may be fixed. Patterning device MA and substrate W may be aligned using mask alignment marks M1, M2 and substrate alignment marks P1, P2. Although substrate alignment marks (as illustrated) occupy dedicated target portions, they may be located in spaces between target portions (eg, scribe line alignment marks). Similarly, where more than one die is provided on patterning device MA, mask alignment marks may be located between the dies.

The support structure MT and the patterning device MA may be in the vacuum chamber V, where the in-vacuum robot IVR may be used to move the patterning device, such as a mask, into and out of the vacuum chamber. Alternatively, when the support structure MT and the patterning device MA are outside the vacuum chamber, similar to the in-vacuum robot IVR, the out-vacuum robot can be used for various transport operations. In some cases, both in-vacuum and out-vacuum robots need to be calibrated for smooth transfer of any payload (eg, a mask) to the stationary kinematic mounts of the transfer station.

Lithography apparatuses 100 and 100' may be used in at least one of the following modes:

1. In step mode, support structure MT and substrate table WT remain substantially stationary while the entire pattern imparted to radiation beam B is projected on target portion C at once (eg, a single static exposure). Next, the substrate table WT is displaced in the X and/or Y directions so that different target portions C can be exposed.

2. In scan mode, the support structure MT and the substrate table WT are scanned synchronously while the pattern imparted to the radiation beam B is projected on the target portion C (eg, a single dynamic exposure). The speed and direction of the substrate table WT relative to the support structure MT (eg, the mask table) can be determined by the (reduced) magnification and image inversion characteristics of the projection system PS.

3. In another mode, the support structure MT is kept substantially stationary, thereby holding the programmable patterning device MA, and the substrate table WT is moved or scanned while projecting the pattern imparted to the radiation beam B on the target portion C . A pulsed radiation source SO can be used and the programmable patterning device updated as needed after each movement of the substrate table WT or between sequential radiation pulses during a scan. This mode of operation can be readily applied to maskless lithography using programmable patterning devices MA, such as programmable mirror arrays.

Combinations and/or variations or entirely different usage modes with respect to the usage modes described may also be used.

In another aspect, lithography apparatus 100 includes an EUV source configured to generate a beam of EUV radiation for EUV lithography. In general, the EUV origin is configured in a radiation system, and the corresponding illumination system is configured to condition the EUV radiation beam of the EUV source.

FIG. 2 shows in more detail the lithography apparatus 100, which includes a radiation source SO (eg, a source collector apparatus), an illumination system IL, and a projection system PS. As shown in FIG. 2, the lithography apparatus 100 is illustrated from a viewing angle (eg, a side view) perpendicular to the XZ plane (eg, the X axis points to the right and the Z axis points upward).

The radiation source SO is constructed and configured such that a vacuum environment can be maintained within the enclosure structure 220 . The radiation source SO includes a source chamber 211 and a collector chamber 212, and is configured to generate and transmit EUV radiation. EUV radiation may be generated from a gas or vapor, such as xenon (Xe) gas, lithium (Li) vapor, or tin (Sn) vapor, wherein the EUV radiation emitting plasma 210 is generated to emit radiation in the EUV range of the electromagnetic spectrum. The at least partially ionized EUV radiation emitting plasma 210 may be generated by, for example, an electrical discharge or a laser beam. A partial pressure of Xe gas, Li vapor, Sn vapor, or any other suitable gas or vapor, eg, about 10.0 Pascals (pa), can be used to efficiently generate radiation. In some aspects, an excited tin plasma is provided to generate EUV radiation.

Radiation emitted by EUV radiation emitting plasma 210 is delivered from source chamber 211 to via optional gas barrier or contaminant trap 230 (eg, also referred to as a contaminant barrier or foil trap in some cases) In collector chamber 212, the optional gas barrier or contaminant trap is positioned in or behind an opening in source chamber 211. Contaminant trap 230 may include channel structures. Contamination trap 230 may also include a gas barrier or a combination of gas barrier and channel structure. Contaminant trap 230 as further indicated herein includes at least a channel structure.

Collector chamber 212 may include a radiation collector CO (eg, a concentrator or collector optics), which may be a so-called grazing incidence collector. The radiation collector CO has an upstream radiation collector side 251 and a downstream radiation collector side 252 . Radiation traversing the radiation collector CO may be reflected from the grating spectral filter 240 to focus in the virtual source point IF. The virtual source point IF is often referred to as an intermediate focus, and the source collector device is configured such that the virtual source point IF is located at or near the opening 219 in the enclosure structure 220 . The virtual source point IF is an image of the EUV radiation emitting plasma 210 . The grating spectral filter 240 is particularly useful for suppressing infrared (IR) radiation.

The radiation then traverses the illumination system IL, which may include a faceted field mirror device 222 and a faceted pupil mirror device 224 that are configured to A desired angular distribution of the radiation beam 221 at the patterning device MA is provided, as well as a desired uniformity of radiation intensity at the patterning device MA. After reflection of the radiation beam 221 at the patterning device MA held by the support structure MT, a patterned beam 226 is formed and imaged by the projection system PS via the reflective elements 228, 229 onto the wafer stage or the substrate table on the substrate W held by the WT.

There may generally be more elements in illumination system IL and projection system PS than shown. Optionally, grating spectral filters 240 may be present depending on the type of lithography equipment. Additionally, there may be more mirrors than those shown in FIG. 2 . For example, there may be one to six additional reflective elements in projection system PS compared to that shown in FIG. 2 .

Merely as an example of a collector (or collector mirror), the radiation collector CO illustrated in FIG. 2 is depicted as a nested collector with grazing incidence reflectors 253 , 254 and 255 . The grazing incidence reflectors 253, 254 and 255 are arranged axially symmetrically about the optical axis O, and this type of radiation collector CO is preferably used in conjunction with a Discharge Produced Plasma (DPP) source.

Example lithography cell

Figure 3 shows a lithography cell 300, sometimes also referred to as a lithocell or cluster. As shown in FIG. 3, the lithography fabrication cell 300 is illustrated from a viewing angle (eg, a top view) perpendicular to the XY plane (eg, the X-axis points to the right and the Y-axis points up).

The lithography apparatus 100 or 100 ′ may form part of the lithography fabrication unit 300 . The lithography fabrication unit 300 may also include one or more devices to perform pre-exposure and post-exposure processes on the substrate. For example, such equipment may include a spin coater SC for depositing a resist layer, a developer DE for developing the exposed resist, a cooling plate CH, and a bake plate BK. A substrate handler RO (eg, a robot) picks up substrates from the input/output ports I/O1 and I/O2, moves the substrates between different processing equipment, and delivers the substrates to the loading cassette LB of the lithography apparatus 100 or 100'. These devices, often collectively referred to as coating and developing systems, are under the control of the coating and developing system control unit TCU, which itself is controlled by the supervisory control system SCS, which is also controlled by lithography. The control unit LACU is used to control the lithography equipment. Thus, different equipment can be operated to maximize throughput and process efficiency.

Example Substrate Stage

4 shows a schematic illustration of an example substrate stage 400 in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. In some aspects, the example substrate stage 400 may include a substrate stage 402, a support block 404, one or more sensor structures 406, any other suitable components, or any combination thereof. In some aspects, the substrate stage 402 includes clips (eg, wafer clips, reticle clips, electrostatic clips) to hold the substrate 408 . In some aspects, each of the one or more sensor structures 406 includes a transmission image sensor (TIS) plate. A TIS board is a sensor unit that includes one or more sensors and/or markers used in a TIS sensing system that are used relative to lithography equipment (eg, refer to Fig. 1A, 1B, and 2 depicts a projection system (eg, see projection system PS depicted in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2) and a mask (eg, see FIG. 1A ) , Figure 1B and Figure 2 describe the patterning device MA) to accurately position the wafer. Although a TIS board is shown here for illustration, aspects herein are not limited to any particular sensor. The substrate stage 402 is placed on the support block 404 . One or more sensor structures 406 are disposed on the support block 404 .

In some aspects, substrate 408 may be disposed on substrate table 402 when example substrate stage 400 supports substrate 408 .

The terms "flat," "flatness," or the like may be used herein to describe a generally planar structure relative to a surface. For example, a curved or non-horizontal surface may be a surface that does not conform to a flat plate. Protrusions and depressions on a surface can also be characterized as deviations from a "flat" plane.

The terms "smooth", "roughness" or the like may be used herein to refer to local variations, microscopic deviations, grain size or texture of a surface. For example, the term "surface roughness" may refer to the microscopic deviation of a surface profile from a mean line or plane. Deviation is typically measured (in units of length) as an amplitude parameter, such as root mean squared (RMS) or arithmetic mean deviation (Ra) (eg, 1 nm RMS).

In some aspects, the surfaces of the substrate tables mentioned above (eg, substrate table WT in FIGS. 1A and 1B , substrate table 402 in FIG. 4 ) may be flat or nodule free. When the surface of the substrate table is flat, any particles or contaminants trapped between the substrate table and the wafer will cause the contamination to print through the wafer, causing lithography errors in the vicinity of the wafer. Thus, contaminants reduce device yield and increase production costs.

Placing the nodules on the substrate table helps reduce the undesired effects of a flat substrate table. When clamping the wafer to the nodule-removed substrate table, an empty space is obtained in this area where the wafer does not contact the substrate table. The empty spaces act as pockets for contamination to prevent printing errors. Another advantage is that contaminants located on the nodules are more likely to be crushed due to the increased load caused by the nodules. Crushing contamination also helps reduce print-through errors. In some aspects, the combined surface area of the nodule may be substantially about 1% to 5% of the surface area of the substrate table. Here, the surface area of a nodule refers to the surface in contact with the wafer (eg, excluding the sidewalls); and the surface area of the substrate table refers to the span of the surface on which the nodule of the substrate table resides (eg, excluding the substrate table) lateral or dorsal). When the wafer is clamped onto the de-nodled substrate table, the load on the de-nodled substrate table is increased by a factor of 100 compared to the flat substrate table, which is sufficient to crush most contaminants. Although the example herein uses a substrate stage, this example is not intended to be limiting. For example, aspects of the present invention can be implemented on a reticle stage for various clamping structures (eg, electrostatic clips, clamping films) and in various lithography systems (eg, EUV, DUV).

In some aspects, the nodule-to-wafer interface controls the functional performance of the substrate stage. When the surface of the substrate stage is smooth, the adhesion between the smooth surface of the substrate stage and the smooth surface of the wafer can be improved. The phenomenon of two contacting smooth surfaces sticking together is called clinging. Tightness can cause problems in device fabrication (eg, overlay issues) due to high friction and in-plane stress in the wafer (this is optimal for having a tendency to have wafer slip during alignment).

Instance surface with nodules

5 shows a cross-sectional illustration of a region of example electrostatic clip 500, such as a portion of the top clip of example electrostatic clip 500 (or, in some aspects, a portion of example top clip 702 of example electrostatic clip 700 or 701). The example electrostatic clip 500 may include a first layer 502 (eg, a glass substrate, a borosilicate glass substrate, an alkaline earth boroaluminosilicate substrate, a _SiO2 layer) that includes a first surface 502a.

The example electrostatic clip 500 may further include a second layer 504 (eg, an adhesion layer such as a layer of Cr, Al, Si, or any other suitable material) that includes a second surface 504a and a third surface opposite the second surface 504a Surface 504b. The third surface 504b of the second layer 504 may be disposed on the first surface 502a of the first layer 502 . In some aspects, the second layer 504 may be patterned as a final or nearly final step.

The example electrostatic clip 500 may further include a plurality of nodules 506 (eg, DLC nodules) disposed over the first surface 502a of the first layer 502 . For example, a plurality of nodules 506 may be disposed on the second surface 504a of the second layer 504 . The hardness of a subset of the plurality of nodules 506 may be greater than about 6.0 GPa, and in some cases greater than about 10.0 GPa, about 15.0 GPa, or even about 20.0 GPa. The thickness of the plurality of nodules 506 may be greater than about 2.0 microns, and in some cases greater than about 5.0 microns, 7.5 microns, or even about 10.0 microns. The radius of each of the plurality of nodules 506 may be about 200.0 microns. In some aspects, the plurality of nodules 506 can include at least about thirty thousand nodules. In some aspects, the plurality of nodules 506 may be formed by patterning and etching a third layer (eg, a DLC layer) to form the plurality of nodules 506 .

The example electrostatic clip 500 can further include a plurality of nodule tops 507 (eg, CrN nodule tops) disposed over the plurality of nodules 506 . Nodule tops 507 may be formed by patterning and etching a fourth layer (eg, a CrN layer) to form nodule tops 507 . In some aspects, the plurality of nodules 506, the plurality of nodule tops 507, or both may be conductive.

Each of the plurality of nodules 506 may include a fourth surface 506a and a fifth surface 506b opposite the fourth surface 506a. The fifth surface 506b of the nodule may be disposed on the second surface 504a of the second layer 504 . Each of the plurality of nodule tops 507 may include a sixth surface 507a and a seventh surface 507b opposite the sixth surface 507a. The seventh surface 507b at the top of the nodule may rest on the fourth surface 506a of the nodule.

Objects 508 (eg, wafer W or patterning device MA) may be positioned on top of the plurality of nodules 507 as desired. For example, the eighth surface 508a of the object 508 may be removably disposed (eg, placed, positioned) on the sixth surface 507a of one or more of the plurality of nodule tops 507 .

6 shows a cross-sectional illustration of a region of example electrostatic clip 600, such as a portion of the top clip of example electrostatic clip 600 (or, in some aspects, a portion of example top clip 702 of example electrostatic clip 700 or 701). An example electrostatic clip 600 can include a first layer 602 (eg, a glass substrate, a borosilicate glass substrate, an alkaline earth boroaluminosilicate substrate, a _SiO2 layer) that includes a first surface 602a.

The example electrostatic clip 600 may further include a plurality of nodules 606 (eg, CrN, AlN, or SiN nodules) disposed over the first surface 602a of the first layer 602 . For example, a plurality of nodules 606 may be disposed on the first surface 602a of the first layer 602 . The hardness of the subset of the plurality of nodules 606 may be greater than about 6.0 GPa, and in some cases greater than about 10.0 GPa, about 15.0 GPa, or even about 20.0 GPa. The thickness of the plurality of nodules 606 may be greater than about 2.0 microns, and in some cases greater than about 6.0 microns, 7.5 microns, or even about 10.0 microns. In some aspects, the plurality of nodules 606 can include at least about thirty thousand nodules. In some aspects, the plurality of nodules 606 may be formed by patterning and etching a second layer (eg, a CrN, AlN, or SiN layer) to form the plurality of nodules 606 .

Each of the plurality of nodules 606 may include a second surface 606a and a third surface 606b opposite the second surface 606a. The third surface 606b of the nodule may be disposed on the first surface 602a of the upper first layer 602 .

Object 608 (eg, wafer W or patterning device MA) may be positioned over plurality of nodules 606 as desired. For example, the fourth surface 608a of the object 608 may be removably disposed (eg, placed, positioned) on the second surface 606a of one or more of the plurality of nodules 606 . In some aspects, the plurality of nodules 606 may be electrically conductive.

Example electrostatic clip

7A is a schematic illustration of an exploded cross-sectional view of an example electrostatic clip 700 in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. Example electrostatic clip 700 may include, for example, example top clip 702, example core 704, example bottom clip 706, any other suitable components, or any combination thereof. In some aspects, example electrostatic clip 700, example top clip 702, example core 704, example bottom clip 706, or combinations thereof can be formed without anodic bonding. In some aspects, example top clip 702 can have a first thickness of about 0.5 millimeters, example core 704 can have a second thickness of about 8.0 millimeters, and example bottom clip 706 can have a third thickness of about 0.5 millimeters.

Example top clip 702 may include layer 720 (eg, glass substrate, borosilicate glass substrate, alkaline earth boroaluminosilicate), layer 724 (eg, glass substrate, borosilicate glass substrate, alkaline earth boroaluminosilicate) substrate, _SiO2 layer) and one or more layers 722 disposed between layers 720 and 724 and forming one or more electrodes between layers 720 and 724. The one or more layers 722 may include structures, such as any combination of one or more composite layers, wherein each of the one or more composite layers includes one or more conductive layers and one or more conductive layers arranged in an alternating configuration an insulating layer.

In some aspects, layer 724 of example top clip 702 may be thinned to a thickness of about 100.0 microns. In some aspects where layer 724 is thinned to a thickness of less than about 100.0 microns, a layer of SiO ₂ (eg, about 5.0 microns) may be deposited on the surface of layer 724 via vapor deposition (eg, PECVD). In some aspects where layer 724 is a glass (eg, borosilicate glass) layer, first plurality of nodules 728 may be formed by patterning and etching layer 724 to form a first plurality of glass nodules.

Optionally, the example top clip 702 can include a layer ₇₂₆ (eg, an adhesion layer such as Cr, Al, Si or any other suitable material layer). Layer 726 may include any of the aspects described with reference to second layer 504 or any other suitable layer or material. In some aspects, the patternable layer 726 is a final or nearly final step.

The example top clip 702 may further include a first plurality of nodules 728 disposed over the layer 724 . In some aspects, the first plurality of nodules 728 may be formed of at least one material selected from the group consisting of glass (eg, SiO ₂ ), DLC, AlN, SiN, or CrN. In other aspects, the first plurality of nodules 728 may be formed by patterning and etching the layer 724 . In some aspects, the first plurality of nodules 728 may include any of the aspects described with reference to the plurality of nodules 506, the plurality of nodules 606, or any other suitable nodules or materials.

If desired, the example top clip 702 may further include a plurality of nodule tops 730 disposed over the first plurality of nodules 728 . In some aspects, the plurality of nodule tops 730 may be formed of any suitable material, such as CrN. In some aspects, the plurality of nodule tops 730 may include any of the aspects described with reference to the plurality of nodule tops 507 or any other suitable nodule tops or materials.

The example core 704 may include a layer 740, a layer 742, and a plurality of fluid channels 744 configured to carry a thermal regulation fluid. One or both of layers 740 and 742 may comprise silicided silicon carbide (SiSiC) (also known as reaction bonded silicon carbide) or any other suitable material with high hardness and thermal conductivity.

In some aspects, as shown in FIG. 7A , the plurality of fluid channels 744 may be formed by patterning and etching the layer 740 . In other aspects (not shown in FIG. 7A ), the plurality of fluid channels 744 may be formed by patterning and etching layer 742 or any other suitable layer or material.

The example core 704 may further include a layer 748 (eg, SiC deposited via PECVD or any other suitable technique) and optionally a layer 750 (eg, SiO ₂ deposited via physical vapor deposition (PVD), PECVD, or any other suitable technique) to enhance the optical bond to the example top clip 702. In some aspects, the surface of layer 748 may be polished using a suitable polishing technique, and then layer 750 may be deposited (eg, by PVD) on the polished surface of layer 748. In some aspects, the surface 750a of the layer 750 can be ground using a suitable grinding technique.

The example core 704 may further include a second plurality of nodules 746 disposed below the layer 740 . In some aspects, the second plurality of nodules 746 may be formed by patterning and etching the layer 740 . In some aspects, the second plurality of nodules 746 may include any of the aspects described with reference to the plurality of nodules 506, the plurality of nodules 606, the first plurality of nodules 728, or any other suitable nodules or materials one. In some aspects, the first plurality of nodules 728 may be referred to as "short" nodules and the second plurality of nodules 746 may be referred to as "long" nodules. In one illustrative example, a first subset of first plurality of nodules 728 may have a first thickness of about 10.0 microns, and a second subset of second plurality of nodules 746 may have a second thickness of about 1,000 microns thickness. In other words, the thickness of the second plurality of nodules 746 may be greater than the thickness of the first plurality of nodules 728 . In some aspects, the second plurality of nodules 728 can include at least about one hundred nodules, about 200 nodules, or about 300 nodules.

Example bottom clip 706 may include layer 760 (eg, glass substrate, borosilicate glass substrate, alkaline earth boroaluminosilicate), layer 764 (eg, glass substrate, borosilicate glass substrate, alkaline earth boroaluminosilicate) substrate, _SiO2 layer) and one or more layers 762 disposed between layers 760 and 762 and forming one or more electrodes between layers 760 and 762. The one or more layers 762 may include structures, such as any combination of one or more composite layers, wherein each of the one or more composite layers includes one or more conductive layers and one or more conductive layers arranged in an alternating configuration an insulating layer.

The example bottom clip 706 may further define a plurality of apertures 766 in the layer 764 . The plurality of apertures 766 may be configured to receive the second plurality of nodules 746 of the example core 704 . In some aspects, the plurality of apertures 766 may be a plurality of holes drilled in the layer 764 . In other aspects, apertures 766 may be openings that are patterned and etched into layer 764 .

In some aspects, each of example top clip 702, example core 704, and example bottom clip 706 may be formed without anodic bonding. In some aspects, the example electrostatic clip 700 can be formed without anodic bonding by mounting the example top clip 702 to the example core 704 without anodic bonding, and before, concurrently, or subsequent to the anodic bonding The instance core 704 is mounted to the instance bottom clip 706 if necessary.

In some aspects, as indicated by arrow 792, example top clip 702 can be mounted to example core 704 without anodizing. For example, surface 720a of example top clip 702 may be removably attached (eg, optically bonded) to surface 750a of example core 704 . The phrases "removably attached" and "removably attached" may refer to optical bonding or any other suitable reversible or semi-reversible technique. In some aspects, the surface 750a of the example core 704 may be ground prior to optically bonding the surface 720a of the example top clip 702 to the surface 750a of the example core 704 .

In some aspects, as indicated by arrow 794, example core 704 can be mounted to example bottom clip 706 without anodizing. For example, the surface of the example core 704 can be fixedly attached to the surface of the example bottom clip 706 . The phrases "fixedly attached" and "fixedly attached" may refer to adhesive bonding techniques (eg, epoxy bonding using a two-part epoxy adhesive), adhesive techniques, welding techniques, or any other suitable non-reversible attachment technology. In some aspects, each of the second plurality of nodules 746 may be inserted into respective ones of the plurality of apertures 766 prior to adhesively bonding the engaging surface of the example core 704 to the surface of the example bottom clip 706 .

In some aspects, as indicated by arrow 796 , example top clip 702 can be configured to receive an object 708 (eg, substrate W or patterning device MA) for clamping to example electrostatic clip 700 . The first plurality of nodules 728 and, in some aspects, the plurality of nodule tops 730 of the example top clip 702 can be configured to contact the object 708 during a clamping operation. The first plurality of nodules 728 and in some cases the plurality of nodule tops 730 may help to provide less contaminating contact between the article 708 and the example top clip 702 .

7B is a schematic illustration of a cross-sectional view of an example electrostatic clip 701 that has been fabricated in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. In some aspects, example electrostatic clip 701 may be fabricated without anodic bonding as described above with reference to example electrostatic clip 700 .

Example process for making electrostatic clips

FIG. 8 is an example method 800 of a manufacturing apparatus according to some aspects or portions thereof of the present disclosure. The operations described with reference to example method 800 may be performed by or in accordance with the systems, apparatus, components, techniques, or combinations thereof described herein, such as any of those described with reference to FIGS. 1-7 above.

At operation 802, the method may include forming a top clip (eg, example top clip 702) during a first duration that includes a first time. The top clip may include a first surface (eg, the surface of layer 720, such as surface 720a), a second surface (eg, the surface of layer 724 or layer 726) disposed opposite the first surface, disposed laterally to the first surface a first set of electrodes (eg, one or more electrodes implemented in one or more layers 722 ) between and the second surface, and a plurality of nodules (eg, a first plurality of nodules) disposed over the first surface nodule 728). In some aspects, forming the top clip can include forming the top clip without anodic bonding. In some aspects, forming the top clip can include forming at least a portion of the top clip from borosilicate glass. In some aspects, forming the top clip can include forming the top clip to a thickness of about 0.5 millimeters. In some aspects, forming the plurality of nodules can include forming the plurality of nodules from at least one material selected from the group consisting of _SiO2 , DLC, AlN, SiN, or CrN. In some aspects, forming the top clip may include forming the top clip according to any aspect or combination of aspects described with reference to FIGS. 1-7 .

At operation 804, the method may include forming a core (eg, instance core 704) during a second duration including a second time overlapping the first time. The core may include a third surface (eg, a surface of layer 742, layer 748, or layer 750, such as surface 750a), a fourth surface (eg, layer 740 or a second plurality of nodules 746) disposed opposite the third surface surface), and a plurality of fluid channels (eg, a plurality of fluid channels 744) disposed between the third surface and the fourth surface and configured to carry the thermal regulation fluid. In some aspects, forming the core can include forming the core without anodic bonding. In some aspects, forming the core can include forming at least a portion of the core of SiSiC. In some aspects, forming the core can include forming the core to a thickness of about 8.0 millimeters. In some aspects, to enhance subsequent optical bonding, forming the core can include applying a coating (eg, a layer of SiO ₂ deposited by PVD) to the ground third surface of the core. In some aspects, forming the core can include forming a plurality of nodules (eg, the second plurality of nodules 746) disposed below the fourth surface. In some aspects, the top is formed at operation 802 where the plurality of nodules formed at operation 802 are the first plurality of nodules and the plurality of nodules formed at operation 804 are the second plurality of nodules The clip may include forming a first subset of the first plurality of nodules by a first thickness (eg, about 10.0 microns), and forming the core at operation 804 may include forming a second subset of the second plurality of nodules by a thickness greater than the first thickness. A second thickness of a thickness (eg, about 1,000.0 microns). In some aspects, forming the plurality of nodules may include forming the plurality of nodules from layer 740 , such as by patterning and etching layer 740 . In other aspects, forming the plurality of nodules may include self-disposing of layers on the surface of layer 740 (eg, glass substrates, borosilicates), such as by patterning and etching the layers disposed on the surface of layer 740 glass substrate, alkaline earth boroaluminosilicate substrate, _SiO2 layer) to form a plurality of nodules. In some aspects, forming the core can include forming the core according to any aspect or combination of aspects described with reference to FIGS. 1-7 .

At operation 806, the method may include forming a bottom clip (eg, example bottom clip 706) during a third duration including a third time overlapping the first time and the second time. The bottom clip may include a fifth surface (eg, the surface of layer 764 or the plurality of apertures 766 ), a sixth surface (eg, the surface of layer 760 ) disposed opposite the fifth surface, and a fifth surface disposed laterally to the A second set of electrodes between the sixth surfaces (eg, one or more electrodes implemented in one or more layers 762). In some aspects, forming the bottom clip may include forming the bottom clip without anodic bonding. In some aspects, forming the bottom clip can include forming at least a portion of the bottom clip of borosilicate glass. In some aspects, forming the bottom clip can include forming the bottom clip to a thickness of about 0.5 millimeters. In some aspects, the bottom clip can include through holes (eg, apertures 766 ) that are configured such that the second plurality of nodules disposed on the core pass through the bottom clip. In some aspects, the surface of the bottom clip may be about 10 microns from the surface of the second plurality of nodules disposed on the core. In other words, the surfaces of the second plurality of nodules may protrude about 10 microns from the surface of the bottom clip. In some aspects, forming the bottom clip can include forming the bottom clip according to any aspect or combination of aspects described with reference to FIGS. 1-7 .

At operation 808, the method may include mounting the second surface of the top clip to the third surface of the core without anodic bonding. In some aspects, mounting the second surface of the top clip to the third surface of the core can include removably attaching the second surface of the top clip to the third surface of the core. In some aspects, removably attaching the second surface of the top clip to the third surface of the core can include optically bonding the second surface of the top clip to the third surface of the core. In some aspects, the method may further include grinding the third surface of the core prior to optically bonding the second surface of the top clip to the third surface of the core. In some aspects, installing the top clip to the core may include installing the top clip to the core according to any aspect or combination of aspects described with reference to FIGS. 1-7 .

At operation 810, the method may include mounting the fourth surface of the core to the fifth surface of the bottom clip without anodic bonding. In some aspects, mounting the fourth surface of the core to the fifth surface of the bottom clip can include fixedly attaching the fourth surface of the core to the fifth surface of the bottom clip. In some aspects, fixedly attaching the fourth surface of the core to the fifth surface of the bottom clip can include adhesively bonding the fourth surface of the core to the fifth surface of the bottom clip. In some aspects, adhesively bonding the fourth surface of the core to the fifth surface of the bottom clip can include epoxy bonding the fourth surface of the core to the fifth surface of the bottom clip using a two-part epoxy adhesive. In some aspects, fixedly attaching the fourth surface of the core to the fifth surface of the bottom clip can include welding the fourth surface of the core to the fifth surface of the bottom clip. In some aspects, the bottom clip can define a plurality of apertures (eg, a plurality of apertures 766) configured to receive a plurality of nodules (eg, a second plurality of nodules 746); and the core Mounting the fourth surface to the fifth surface of the bottom clip may include inserting each of the second plurality of nodules into respective ones of the plurality of apertures. In some aspects, mounting the core to the bottom clip may include mounting the core to the bottom clip according to any aspect or combination of aspects described with reference to FIGS. 1-7 .

In some aspects, the second plurality of nodules can protrude from layer 760, as shown in Figure 7B. The protruding second plurality of clips can be used to contact the movable wafer stage. The structure of the second plurality of nodules can be used to specify and maintain friction properties as described herein. In this way, when the bottom clamp 706 is energized, the entire clamp assembly can be clamped on the actuatable wafer stage so that it can utilize the engineered frictional interaction between the wafer carrier as a whole and the wafer carrier in particular. The stage moves together.

At operation 812, the method may include forming an electrostatic clip (eg, example electrostatic clip 701). In some aspects, forming the electrostatic clip may include forming the electrostatic clip based on completion of both operations 808 and 810 . In some aspects, forming the electrostatic clip may include forming the electrostatic clip according to any aspect or combination of aspects described with reference to FIGS. 1-7 .

Embodiments may be further described using the following terms: 1. A method for making a device, the method comprising: During a first duration including a first time, a top clip is formed that includes a first surface, a second surface disposed opposite the first surface, a first set of electrodes disposed laterally between the first surface and the second surface, and a plurality of nodules disposed above the first surface; A core is formed during a second duration including a second time overlapping the first time, the core including a third surface, a fourth surface disposed opposite the third surface, a plurality of fluid channels disposed between the third surface and the fourth surface and configured to carry a thermal regulation fluid; and A bottom clip is formed during a third duration including a third time overlapping the first time and the second time, the bottom clip including a fifth surface, a sixth surface disposed opposite the fifth surface, and A second set of electrodes is disposed laterally between the fifth surface and the sixth surface. 2. The method of clause 1, wherein the forming the top clip comprises forming the top clip without an anodic bonding. 3. The method of clause 1, wherein the forming the core comprises forming the core without an anodic bonding. 4. The method of clause 1, wherein the forming the bottom clip comprises forming the bottom clip without an anodic bonding. 5. The method of clause 1, wherein the forming the top clip comprises forming at least a portion of the top clip from borosilicate glass. 6. The method of clause 1, wherein the forming the core comprises forming at least a portion of the core from silicided silicon carbide (SiSiC). 7. The method of clause 1, wherein the forming the bottom clip comprises forming at least a portion of the bottom clip from borosilicate glass. 8. The method of clause 1, wherein: The forming the top clip includes forming the top clip to a first thickness of about 0.5 mm; The forming the core includes forming the core to a second thickness of about 8.0 millimeters; and The forming the bottom clip includes forming the bottom clip to a third thickness of about 0.5 mm. 9. The method of clause 1, wherein the forming the plurality of nodules comprises forming the plurality of nodules from at least one material selected from the group consisting of: diamond-like carbon (DLC), aluminum nitride (AlN) ), silicon nitride (SiN), or chromium nitride (CrN). 10. The method of clause 1, further comprising mounting the second surface of the top clip to the third surface of the core without anodic bonding. 11. The method of clause 10, wherein the mounting the second surface of the top clip to the third surface of the core comprises removably attaching the second surface of the top clip to the core the third surface. 12. The method of clause 11, wherein the removably attaching the second surface of the top clip to the third surface of the core comprises optically bonding the second surface of the top clip to the core of the third surface. 13. The method of clause 12, further comprising grinding the third surface of the core before the optically bonding the second surface of the top clip to the third surface of the core. 14. The method of clause 1, wherein: The plurality of nodules are the first plurality of nodules; The forming the core includes forming a second plurality of nodules disposed below the fourth surface; The forming the top clip includes forming a first subset of the first plurality of nodules to a first thickness; and The forming the core includes forming a second subset of the second plurality of nodules to a second thickness greater than the first thickness. 15. The method of clause 14, further comprising mounting the fourth surface of the core to the fifth surface of the bottom clip without anodic bonding, wherein: the bottom clip defines a plurality of apertures configured to receive the second plurality of nodules; and The mounting of the fourth surface of the core to the fifth surface of the bottom clip includes inserting each of the second plurality of nodules into a respective one of the plurality of apertures. 16. The method of clause 1, wherein the mounting the fourth surface of the core to the fifth surface of the bottom clip comprises fixedly attaching the fourth surface of the core to the fifth surface of the bottom clip . 17. The method of clause 16, wherein the fixedly attaching the fourth surface of the core to the fifth surface of the bottom clip comprises adhesively bonding the fourth surface of the core to the first surface of the bottom clip. Five surfaces. 18. The method of clause 17, wherein the adhesively bonding the fourth surface of the core to the fifth surface of the bottom clip comprises epoxying the fourth surface of the core using a two-part epoxy adhesive Resinically bonded to the fifth surface of the bottom clip. 19. A method for making a device, the method comprising: forming a top clip including a first surface during a first duration including a first time; forming a core during a second duration including a second time overlapping the first time, the core including a second surface and a third surface disposed opposite the second surface; forming a bottom clip including a fourth surface during a third duration including a third time overlapping the first time and the second time; mounting the first surface of the top clip to the second surface of the core without an anodic bonding; and The third surface of the core is mounted to the fourth surface of the bottom clip without an anodic bonding. 20. A device comprising: a top clip, the top clip includes a first group of electrodes and a plurality of nodules; a core comprising a plurality of fluid channels configured to carry a thermal regulation fluid; and a bottom clip containing a second set of electrodes, wherein the top clip does not include an anodic bond, wherein the core does not include an anodic bond, and Wherein the bottom clip does not include an anodic bond.

in conclusion

Although specific reference is made herein to the use of lithography apparatus in IC fabrication, it should be understood that the lithography apparatus described herein may have other applications, such as the fabrication of integrated optical systems, for the guidance and detection of magnetic domain memories Measurement pattern, flat panel display, LCD, thin film magnetic head, etc. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in the context of such alternative applications, any use of the terms "wafer" or "die" herein may be considered synonymous with the more general terms "substrate" or "target portion," respectively . The processes referred to herein may be processed, for example, in a coating development system unit (usually a tool that applies a resist layer to a substrate and develops the exposed resist), a metrology unit, and/or a detection unit, either before or after exposure. substrate. Where applicable, the disclosures herein can be applied to these and other substrate processing tools. Additionally, a substrate may be processed more than once, for example, to produce a multi-layer IC, so that the term substrate as used herein may also refer to a substrate that already contains multiple processed layers.

It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not limitation, so that the terminology or phraseology of this specification is to be interpreted by one skilled in the relevant art in light of the teachings herein.

The term "substrate" as used herein describes the material to which a layer of material is added. In some aspects, the substrate itself can be patterned, and the material added on top of it can also be patterned, or can remain unpatterned.

The examples disclosed herein illustrate, but do not limit, embodiments of the invention. Other suitable modifications and adaptations of various conditions and parameters commonly encountered in the art and that will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art are within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Although specific reference may be made herein to the use of devices and/or systems in IC manufacturing, it should be expressly understood that such devices and/or systems have many other possible applications. For example, such apparatus and/or systems may be used in the manufacture of integrated optical systems, guidance and detection patterns for magnetic domain memory, LCD panels, thin film magnetic heads, and the like. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, in the context of such alternative applications, any use of the terms "mirror mask", "wafer" or "die" herein should be considered to be Cover, Substrate, and Target Section.

While specific aspects of the invention have been described above, it should be understood that the aspects may be practiced otherwise than as described. The description is not intended to be an embodiment of the invention.

It should be understood that the [Embodiment] section rather than the [Prior Art], [Summary of Invention] and [Abstract] sections are intended to explain the scope of the claims. The [Summary] and [Abstract] sections may set forth one or more, but not all, example embodiments as contemplated by the inventors, and, therefore, are not intended to limit the scope of the present embodiments and appended claims in any way.

Some aspects of the invention have been described above with the aid of functional building blocks that illustrate the implementation of specified functions and their relationships. The boundaries of these functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for ease of description. Alternate boundaries may be defined so long as the specified functions and their relationships are appropriately performed.

The foregoing descriptions of specific aspects of the invention will thus fully disclose the general nature of the aspects: without departing from the general concept of the invention, others may target various applications by applying what is known to those skilled in the art Such specific aspects are readily modified and/or adapted without undue experimentation. Accordingly, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the disclosed aspects, based on the teachings and guidance presented herein.

The breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described example aspects or embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

100: lithography equipment 100': lithography equipment 100'': lithography equipment 210: EUV Radiation Emitting Plasma 211: Source Chamber 212: Collector Chamber 219: Opening 220: Enclosed Structure 221: Radiation Beam 222: Faceted Field Mirror Device 224: Faceted pupil mirror device 226: Patterned Beam 228: Reflective element 229: Reflective element 230: Optional gas barrier/contaminant trap 240: Grating Spectral Filter 251: Upstream radiation collector side 252: Downstream Radiation Collector Side 253: Grazing Incidence Reflector 254: Grazing Incidence Reflector 255: Grazing Incidence Reflector 300: Lithography Manufacturing Unit 400: Example Substrate Stage 402: Substrate stage 404: Support block 406: Sensor structure 408: Substrate 500: Example Static Clip 502: first floor 502a: First surface 504: Second Floor 504a: Second surface 504b: Third surface 506: Nodules 506a: Fourth surface 506b: Fifth surface 507: Top of nodules 507a: Sixth Surface 507b: Seventh Surface 508: Object 508a: Eighth Surface 600: Example electrostatic clip 602: first floor 602a: First surface 606: Nodules 606a: Second surface 606b: Third surface 608: Object 608a: Fourth surface 700: Example Static Clip 701: Example electrostatic clip 702: Instance top clip 704: Instance core 706: Instance bottom clip 708: Object 720: Layer 720a: Surface 722: Layer 724: Layer 726: Layer 728: Nodules 730: Top of nodules 740: Layer 742: Layer 744: Fluid Channel 746: Nodules 748: Layer 750: Layer 750a: Surface 760: Layer 762: Layer 764: Layer 766: Pore 792: Arrow 794: Arrow 796: Arrow 800: Instance method of manufacturing equipment 802: Operation 804: Operation 806: Operation 808: Operation 810: Operation 812: Operation AD: Adjuster B: Radiation beam BD: Beam Delivery System BK: Baking Board C: Target Section CH: cooling plate CO: Radiation Collector / Radiation Collector DE: Developer IF: virtual source point IFD: Position Sensor IFD1: Position Sensor IFD2: Position Sensor IL: Lighting Systems/Illuminators IN: light integrator I/O1: input/output port I/O2: Input/Output Port IPU: Lighting System Pupil IVR: In-Vacuum Robot L: lens/lens group LACU: Lithography Control Unit LB: Loading Box M1: Mask alignment mark M2: Mask alignment mark MA: Patterning Apparatus MT: Support structure/mask table MP: Mask Pattern O: Optical axis P1: Substrate alignment mark P2: Substrate alignment mark PD: aperture device PM: first locator PS: Projection system PW: Second Locator PPU: Pupil Conjugate RO: Substrate handler SC: Spin Coater SCS: Supervisory Control System SO: pulsed radiation source TCU: coating and developing system control unit V: Vacuum chamber WT: substrate stage W: substrate

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of this specification, illustrate the invention and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of aspects of the invention and to enable those skilled in the relevant art to make and use aspects of the invention.

1A is a schematic illustration of an example reflective lithography apparatus according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

IB is a schematic illustration of an example transmissive lithography apparatus in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

2 is a more detailed schematic illustration of the reflective lithography apparatus shown in FIG. 1A in accordance with some aspects of the present invention.

3 is a schematic illustration of an example lithography fabrication unit in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

4 is a schematic illustration of an example substrate stage in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

5 is a cross-sectional illustration of a region of an example electrostatic clip according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

6 is a cross-sectional illustration of a region of another example electrostatic clip in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

7A is a schematic illustration of an exploded cross-sectional view of an example electrostatic clip in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

7B is a schematic illustration of a cross-sectional view of an example electrostatic clip in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure.

8 is an example method for fabricating a device in accordance with some aspects or portions thereof of the present disclosure.

The features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the embodiments described hereinafter in connection with the drawings, in which like reference characters identify corresponding elements throughout. In the figures, unless otherwise indicated, the same reference numerals generally designate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements. Also, typically, the left-most digit of a reference number identifies the drawing in which the reference number first appears. The drawings provided throughout this disclosure should not be construed as being drawn to scale unless otherwise indicated.

500: Example Static Clip 502: first floor 502a: First surface 504: Second Floor 504a: Second surface 504b: Third surface 506: Nodules 506a: Fourth surface 506b: Fifth surface 507: Top of nodules 507a: Sixth Surface 507b: Seventh Surface 508: Object 508a: Eighth Surface

Claims (20)

A method for making a device, the method comprising: during a first duration including a first time, forming a top clamp, the top clamp including a first surface, a second surface, It is disposed opposite the first surface, a first set of electrodes disposed laterally between the first surface and the second surface, and a plurality of burls disposed above the first surface ; form a core during a second duration including a second time overlapping with the first time, the core comprising a third surface, a fourth surface disposed opposite to the third surface, a plurality of fluid channels disposed between the third surface and the fourth surface and configured to carry a thermally conditioned fluid; and including the first time and the second A third duration of time overlapping a third time forms a bottom clamp comprising a fifth surface, a sixth surface disposed opposite the fifth surface, and a first Two sets of electrodes are disposed laterally between the fifth surface and the sixth surface. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming the top clip comprises: bonding without an anodic The top clip is formed in the case of an anodic bond. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming the core comprises: forming the core without an anodic bonding. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming the bottom clip comprises: forming the bottom clip without an anodic bonding. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming the top clip comprises: forming at least a portion of the top clip from borosilicate glass. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming the core comprises: forming at least a portion of the core from siliconized silicon carbide (SiSiC). The method of claim 1, wherein the forming the bottom clip comprises: forming at least a portion of the bottom clip from borosilicate glass. The method of claim 1, wherein: the forming the top clip comprises forming the top clip to a first thickness of about 0.5 millimeters; the forming the core comprises forming the core to a second thickness of about 8.0 millimeters; and the forming The bottom clip includes a third thickness that forms the bottom clip up to about 0.5 mm. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming the plurality of nodules comprises being selected from the following At least one material of the group forms the plurality of nodules: diamond-like carbon (DLC), aluminum nitride (AlN), silicon nitride (SiN), or chromium nitride (CrN). The method of claim 1, further comprising mounting the second surface of the top clip to the third surface of the core without anodic bonding. The method of claim 10, wherein the mounting the second surface of the top clip to the third surface of the core comprises: removably attaching the second surface of the top clip to the third surface of the core. The method of claim 11, wherein the removably attaching the second surface of the top clip to the third surface of the core comprises: optically bonding the second surface of the top clip to the core the third surface. The method of claim 12, further comprising polishing the third surface of the core prior to optically bonding the second surface of the top clip to the third surface of the core. The method of claim 1, wherein: the plurality of nodules are a first plurality of nodules; the forming the core comprises forming a second plurality of nodules disposed below the fourth surface; the forming the top clip comprises forming and forming the core includes forming a second subset of the second plurality of nodules by a first thickness greater than the first plurality of nodules a second thickness of a thickness. The method of claim 14, further comprising mounting the fourth surface of the core to the fifth surface of the bottom clip without anodic bonding, wherein: the bottom clip defines a plurality of apertures, the The plurality of apertures are configured to receive the second plurality of nodules; and the mounting of the fourth surface of the core to the fifth surface of the bottom clip includes each of the second plurality of nodules inserting into a respective one of the plurality of apertures. The method of claim 1, wherein the mounting the fourth surface of the core to the fifth surface of the bottom clip comprises: fixably attaching the fourth surface of the core to the first surface of the bottom clip Five surfaces. The method of claim 16, wherein the fixedly attaching the fourth surface of the core to the fifth surface of the bottom clip comprises: adhesively bonding the fourth surface of the core to the bottom clip of the fifth surface. The method of claim 17, wherein the adhesively bonding the fourth surface of the core to the fifth surface of the bottom clip comprises: using a two-part epoxy adhesive to attach the core to the The fourth surface is epoxy bonded to the fifth surface of the bottom clip. A method for making a device, the method comprising: forming a top clip during a first duration including a first time, the top clip including a first surface; including an overlap with the first time A core is formed during a second duration of the second time, the core including a second surface, a third surface disposed opposite the second surface, and a plurality of fluid channels disposed in the first surface between the two surfaces and the third surface and configured to carry a thermal regulating fluid; a bottom clip is formed during a third duration including a third time overlapping the first time and the second time , the bottom clip includes a fourth surface; the first surface of the top clip is mounted to the second surface of the core without an anodic bonding; and the first surface of the core without an anodic bonding Three surfaces are mounted to the fourth surface of the bottom clip. A device comprising: a top clip comprising a first set of electrodes and a plurality of nodules; a core comprising a plurality of fluid channels configured to carry a thermal regulator fluid; and a bottom clip including a second set of electrodes, wherein the top clip does not include an anodic bond, wherein the core does not include an anodic bond, and wherein the bottom clip does not include an anodic bond.

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